Always You
by The Heidster
Summary: [Sequel to Renewal] When Jess's mysterious ex comes back to town, will the happy couple be able to say I do in peace or will they be creully ripped apart because of this tall, handsome blast from the past?


Hello, I'm back! I know you guys have all been wondering why I left Renewal the way that I did and I am here to tell you that it's because I wanted to write this story, Always You. You guys remember that one guy from Renewal that Jess talked about she slept with after she and Rob broke up? Yeah, this story written involving him. I hope you enjoy it!

Heidi

_Disclaimer: I do not own the 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU series nor do I own the characters in it…unfortunately. _

**Malcolm**

So, it's been a week since Rob and I got engaged, and the perverts—I swear, this one nurse-man tried to feel me up, but then Rob, my _fiancé_, came in and "took care of it"—from the hospital finally let me out.

There's just this incredible feeling about being engaged. You know that glow pregnant women seem to have? Yeah, I feel that exact glow, except instead of a pregnant-glow, I have a newly engaged-glow. It's totally awesome.

And plus, I can finally walk, though I can't run, due to a certain _someone's_ shooting spree. Actually walking isn't the only thing I can't do, which makes my job a lot harder, although Dr. Krantz fully informed me that I can just sit at home for these two months.

But that's not the unfortunate part. The sad part is that in addition to the not being able to run thing, Rob and I also cannot conduct any physical activities either.

Which includes having sex. Actually, this is not the only reason we're not doing it. The other reason is that Rob and I have formed this no-sex pact for this whole time that we're engaged so that our first time as a married couple on our honeymoon—I could almost feel it now—is extra special.

That's why our engagement's only going to last four months—our wedding's going to be on September 15th, I know, very lucky. Four days after 9/11 and all. It's really not my fault though, I mean, I just honestly don't think I can keep my hands off him any longer than that. On the other hand, if we make it any shorter, we won't have enough time to prepare.

Anyways, I was just thinking this through when Rob shut the door to our apartment—oh, yes, did I not mention? Ever since Rob proposed to me at the hospital, we have been living together at a much bigger apartment than my old one. Also, Rob had gotten a much better, full-time job right next to the bureau—and sunk lips into my clavicle. (a/n: For those of you who do not know, this is just a fancy way of saying collarbone. Not some place else.)

"Mmm," I muttered, holding it out. I was really getting used to this new way we decided to greet each other with when no one was around.

He continued to trail hot white kisses down my neck. Then, he sat us both down.

"So," he said, taking a hold of my hands, which I had slipped around his neck and putting them in my lap, "When do you plan on telling your parents about this?"

I leaned back on the couch and imagined Rob without a shirt on and asked half-heartedly, "About what?"

He rolled his smoky, blue eyes. "About us getting married. Remember?"

I groaned. "Oh."

"Yes," Rob said, "So, are you planning on flying over or inviting them over there? Whatever you decide, I'll do the same for my mom."

I gnawed on my lower lip. "Um, let's have them over…" I said.

I really wasn't about to spend three hours on a plane to Indiana just to get lectured at. Judging from their reaction the last time I visited them, they still weren't too fond of Rob. Or maybe it was just the fact that the first time I came back to Indiana wasn't to see them, but my ex boyfriend—now turned fiancé.

Rob shrugged his big, impressive shoulders. "Sure. I was thinking this weekend?" When I shot him a pained glare, he added, in his irresistibly deep voice, "Let's just get it over with, okay?"

"Okay," I answered, as an idea popped into my mind.

In one fluid motion, I flipped Rob over to the other end of the couch and leaned over him until I was basically on top of him and whispered into his ear, "Before we do that though, I was thinking of doing something else."

* * *

After our round of round of tonsil hockey and petting was finished. I whipped out my phone book—yes, this is a testament of how much I've changed. I, Jessica Mastriani, keep a phone book. Surprise!—and started dialing my mother's phone number. 

"Hello, Mastriani household, Ari speaking," a child answered.

I was kind of caught off guard, although I was finally aware that Ari was one of Mikey and Claire's twins—ew, ew, ew, ew, ew—and that Michael and Claire often drop the twins off at their grandmother's. "Hey," I said slowly, "Ari, this is Aunt Jessica."

When no reply came from the other end, I elaborated. "Remember? I came over to your grandma's house four weeks ago?"

When there was still no response from the other end, I said tiredly, "I was the lady who brought the really big candy bar?"

"Oh!" Ari exclaimed in comprehension, "Okay."

I swear, kids and their craze for candy. It's almost as bad as my obsession with Rob. Only kids don't dream of what I dream of almost every night. Which is all pretty dirty stuff I could possibly do to him during our honeymoon. Seriously, I'm talking _dirty_.

"Can I speak to your grandma?"

"Sure," she answered. Then I could hear what could only be described as a decibel so loud that my eardrums would have probably exploded if it weren't for the fact that I took the phone away from my ears.

"Mom?"

"Oh, Jessica, it's you," my mother said, sounding disappointed.

And why shouldn't she? I mean, I am a pretty sad excuse of a daughter. Seriously, I leave home at eighteen, don't contact her for seven years, and left only having said a few words to her when I did visit her after seven years.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm just fine. How about you?" she asked, just to be polite I think. She honestly could not have been less interested.

"I'm good," I answered.

After a few minutes of pure silence, my mother went, "Why'd you call?"

"I was just checking to make sure you were okay," I lied transparently.

She saw right through it. "Please, Jessica."

"Okay, the thing is…" I took in deep breath of air, which I instantly regretted since it caused my whole cardiovascular area to clench. "Well, the thing is, I'm getting…" I paused, trying to find the right way to phrase that I was getting married, but then after contemplating the current situation, decided there was no right way. "I was thinking of having you and Dad over this weekend. I sort of have some things I need to tell you guys," I settled on saying.

"Couldn't you tell us over the phone?" she asked.

"Well, no, this is kind of a big deal," I said, a bit testily.

I heard my mother sigh on the other end. "I wish you had invited us over earlier, Jessica, but whatever. We'll be there."

"Thanks." I forced a smile into the phone before realizing that she couldn't see me. "Sorry about the short notice."

"Goodbye," she said coldly.

"Bye, Mom."

I hung up the phone and sighed. My mother was obviously still upset about my running out on them and the whole not-calling-for-seven-years thing.

"That sounded like it went well," Rob said, sneaking up on me.

"Oh!" I jumped about a foot in the air. "Jeez, sneak up on me by don't you?"

He wrapped one of his strong, tanned arms around my waist from behind and whispered in my ear, "I enjoy it. You're cute when you do that."

I blushed. Love does some pretty weird things to you. I mean, if it had been any other guy who had told me that, he'd be in for some pretty serious kneeing in the groin, but with Rob…well, I actually felt comforted by the fact that he thought I was cute.

With him, instead of thinking _Ew. Fat pervert thinks I'm cute, _I think more along the lines of _He thinks I'm cute! _He_ thinks _I'm_ cute! _

It's all very strange.

After Rob made a more pleasant phone call—compared to mine anyway—to Mary, Rob and I settled back on our couch. This time to talk about what we had been up to the past seven years, not to make out. While I liked knowing what I had missed of Rob's life, I felt kind of disappointed we weren't going to make out some more, because let me tell you, Rob's lips are utterly addictive.

"You first," Rob said, a typically male command concerning these types of conversations, even though it was totally his idea to talk about what we'd respectively been up to.

I sighed. "Okay. What do you want to know about?"

He went straight to the point. "Did you see anyone after we broke up?" he asked quickly, as if he didn't get it out now, he never would.

I gulped a bit nervously. "Oh," I started, "Cecelia's set me up a few times, but nothing serious." And it was the truth. Well, mostly anyway.

After I arrived at the city, I'd met this guy, Malcolm, who was a lawyer and Dr. Krantz's nephew. We'd met at Dr. Krantz's fortieth birthday gathering. He was really nice to me, the weird girl who just stood in the corner, frowning for no apparent reason. He was consoling and was someone I found I could open up to. After the party, he asked me out to coffee, and since he was so understanding and insightful to my problems I figured why not? And it was really fun. It really was. But the thing was, I'd always thought of our relationship as a friend relationship and not a love relationship.

Malcolm, however, thought differently, so I went along with it because, I think, mainly I wanted someone I could use to get over Rob. Yeah, not a good idea. Using other people, I mean. What ended up happening was after Malcolm and I had gone to a bar and had a lot to drink—this was after we'd been going out for about four months—we went back to his apartment and began to fool around a little bit. One thing led to another and before I knew it, we were in the middle of hot, passionate sex. And at first, it felt awesome to be with another man, because it proved that I didn't _need_ Rob anymore...of course, that was what I thought before I accidentally called out the wrong name. Rob's name to be exact.

I don't know that much about guys, but one thing that I do know is that after you've called out your ex-boyfriend's name in bed, your current boyfriend tends to get a little angry. Okay, a lot angry.

Malcolm and I haven't exactly spoken since then, although Dr. Krantz talks occasionally about him here and there. According to him, Malcolm has opened up his own firm and is doing really well. Also, Dr. Krantz just had to add in the fact that Malcolm is still single. Yeah, like Malcolm would ever even consider speaking to me again after what I did. Also, no offense to him to anything, but why would I go back to him when I have Rob?

But in spite of all this, I didn't think it was the best idea to tell Rob that I slept with some guy to get over him. There are just some things that he doesn't need to know.

I especially couldn't tell him that after the way he reacted what I said, which was pull me in his arms and kiss me like there was no tomorrow.

"You don't know how good that makes me feel," he said, as a smile of relief and joy lit up his face. I looked back up at him. For a moment, we just sat there, grinning at each other like two idiots in love.

After a moment, I asked him, "So were _you _with anyone after we broke up?"

The smile on his face turned into one of affection then.

"No," he replied. "Even after we broke up, I couldn't seem to stop thinking about you. You were on my mind day and night and even in my dreams you appeared. Whenever you would show up in my dreams, you were always perfect, whether I dreamed about you trying to take down the crazy stepfather in the cave or that amazing night at the reopening of Mastriani's. You were always the reincarnation of beauty itself." Here, he stopped to kiss me lightly on the tip of my nose. "During those years I had thought countless times about just getting back on my feet and telling you that I wanted—no, _needed—_for you to come back to me, and it killed me to know that you would have every right to turn me down and that I would never have the chance to hold you in my arms again." He paused momentarily and took a breath. "But what scared me the most was the possibility of when I went begging at your door you would just tell me that you didn't love me anymore."

It was then when I put my fingertip up to his lips and stopped him. "Never," I said, "Never would I stop loving you."

* * *

Before we knew it, the weekend rolled around and it was time to pick up our parents at the airport. 

"I don't want to do this," I whined for the four millionth time. "I still think that I should be the one to go get the bags and you should hold the sign."

He smiled comfortingly down at me. "You'll be fine. They're your parent and your soon-to-be mother-in-law. They love you."

I just responded by rolling my eyes. Rob, seeing this, kissed me quickly on the lips and left towards baggage claim.

As I stood there, bored out of my mind, something—or rather, someone—caught my eye. He had soft-looking, light brown hair and was holding a familiar black suitcase. He was around my age, twenty-five or twenty-six, and he was a bit over six feet tall.

I continued to stare strangely at his back, trying to figure out where I had seem him from, when he turned around. My jaw just about dropped to the disgusting airport carpet. I knew that face all too well. He was back.

Malcolm was back.

* * *

_What do you think? Please review. _


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